Method and means to control induction-coils.



P. R. WERNER.

METHOD AND MEANS T0 CONTROL INDUCTION cons.

APPLICATION FILED MAR- 24, I915- Patented Mar. 12, 1918.

WITNESSES ATTORNEYS 25 'plete saturation of'thei inductiorfcoil is ef- Ifected, prior to the opening of the circuit,

PAUL a; WER1}{I'|B, or PHILADELPHIA,PENNSYLVANIA.-

' METHOD AND MEANS 'rocon'raon mnuc'rlon-colnsr Specification of Lettersliatent.

ramm ainar. 12, 1918..

Application filed March '24,, 1915. Serial nit-16,542.

To all whom it may concern. V p

Be 'it known that I,:PA UL R. WERNER, a. citizen of the United States,residing in the city and countyof Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania,have invented anew and use-.- ful Method and -Means to ControlInduction- Coils, of which the following is a specification.

My present-invention relates to novel means to control and energize aninduction coil and-- relatesy'more.particularly to an electromagneticcontrolledinduction coil, in which the coil is saturated before openingthe circuit, whereby my' device 'is especially adapted tobe employed forthe ignition of internal combustion engines.

It further consists of a novel. apparatus,-

wherein I employ a'contact to establisha circuit through the inductioncoil, and imme diately thereafter, I provide for the establishing ofanother circuit, both "of said circuits being in parallel, andl. thenemploythe second circuit to open the first circuit. I

The main object of my present invention is'to devise a construction,wherein a comthe result of which is that I am enabled to obtain agreatly increased efficiency from any given induction coil. I

Other novel features of construction and advantage will hereinafter,more clearly appear in the detailed description. For the purpose ofillustrating myinvem. tion, I have'shown hereina typical embodiment ofmy invention, which will give satisfactory and reliable'results inpractice, 21- though it is to be understood that thevarious-instrumentalities of which my invention consiststcan be;variously arranged and organized .and that my invention is not limitedto the precise arrangement and or ganization of these..instrumentalities as herevin shown and described.

Figure 1 represents, diagrammatically,a' means embodying my inventionfor control-' ling induction coils. 1

' Fig.- 2 represents in sectional elevation, a portion of a contactmaking mechanism.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in thefigures.

Referring to the drawings:---

1 designates 'a source of electric supply which may be, of any desirednature, but,

in the present instance, I have preferred to carrying member 5.

pivoted at24: to the arm-19..

illustrate the same as consisting of a' battery, which isconnected withthe ground by .a line 2.

3 designates a line leading to a means 4, 'for'opening or closing thecircuit, 'such as for example, the contact I mechanism illustrat'ed;,The contact mechanism 4 is provided with a contact carrying member 5, towhich is connected 'a line 3 The member 5 is provided with a. contact 6,which cooperates-with. a stationary contact 7,- ad- ]ustably mounted,since it is carried by a screw 8. 9 designates" a stop for the contactleading to a primary coil not an induction coil 12 which isprovided witha secondary coil 13. trated as connected on opposite sides of the 10designates a ='-line 14: designates a condenser, illusprimary coil11. 15designates a line leading from-the primary winding 11 andcominunlcating. withaline 16, which is con/nectcontacts may be employed.I have preferred .to illustrate four contacts as being made during acycle of the contact mechanism 32.

The-current flows from the contacts 17 ed with a series. offour contacts17, it being understood that any desired number of through a brush 18which is loosely mounted in an"arm 19 carried by a rotatable-shaft 20which is connected withthe ground. by the line-21, so that the contacts17 are grounded .through theibrush 18. The brush'18 is .loosely mountedin the a'rm'lQ-andrestS upon the weighted end22 of an arm 23 25dfsignates a stop'to limit the downward movement of the weighted arm 23.The source of electric supply 1 is connected by-a line 26 with anelectro-magnet 27 which isconncted by'a 'line28 with a 'set ofcontacts29 corresponding in number to the contacts 17. The contacts 29 aregrounded through the brush 1 8,- arm 19, shaft 20 and line .21 in asimilar manner to that in which the contacts 17 are, grounded. When themagnet 27 is energized through the contact of the brush 18 with thecontact 29, the armature 30 carried by the contact carrying member. 5will be attracted, thereby separating the movable contact 6 from therelatively stationary contact 7, thereby opening or breaking the circuitthrough the primary coil, I

During the cycle of the operation, the shaft'20 may be rotated 1n either'd1rect1on in accordance with the manner in which it is to be used, andin the present instance, it is. illustrated as rotatlng counterclockwlse or and 29. When the brush 18, rotating in thedirection of thearrow, contacts with the stationary contacts 17, the circuit is closedthrough'the primarycoil 11 and the primary coil is completely saturated,itbeing understood that the operative length of the contacts 17 and 18may be made of suflicient length to provide-for a complete saturation ofthe primary coil under high speeds of the arm 19. Before the brush 18breaks the circuit, it comes into contact with the contact 29, whichestablishes a circuit through the electro-magnet 27, thereby breaking oropening the primary circuit, since the armature 30 is attracted by themagnet 27, as is apparent. Since the current is interrupted, no arcingcan take place between the contacts 18 and 17 As the contact between thecontacts 18 and 29 is broken, due to the further rotation of the arm 19,only a'very slight arcing is possible, since the electro-magnet isconstructed to take but a minimum amount of current. Since the arcing ispractically eliminated, the durability of 29 and 18 is greatly increasedwith consequent economy in the cost of operation.' Since ll employelectro-magnetic means to.

open the circuit in the primary winding, a separation of the contact isefi'ected in a minimum amount of time, which provides for a rapid.dee'nergizing of the primary coil and'a consequent highly efiicientsecondary current. The secondary winding 13 has one end grounded throughthe primary circuit and the other end 31 is grounded through the usualdistributing means.

lit will be apparent that the secondary circuit can be arranged in anydesired manner, for-example, instead of grounding one end through theprimary, it may go to another spark plug or distributer.

lit will also be apparent that any other device, besides an inductioncoil, requiring a given amount of current, can be used in this methodand is within the scope of my claims.

On a further revolution of the arm 19, the circuit is opened and closedin the different circuits in a similar manner to that already described.The number of times in which this opening and closing of the twocircuits is performed in a cycle of the rotation of the shaft 20 willdepend entirely the contacts 17 ployed, such as 17 and 29. a

It will, of course, be understood that it is. within the scope of myinvention to employ any desired means for bringing the contact 18 intosuccessive engagement with sets of contacts, such as 17 and '29, and asliding contact illustrated is simply one manner of upon the number ofsets of contacts emaccomplishing this result.

In my present invention, I form a circuit which carries the current tothe induction coil in undiminished strength for a length of time whichisdetermined only-by the requirements met with in practice. As the speedof the engine increases, the shaft 2-0, which is driven by the engine,causes the contacts to become shorter in time, and it is thereforedesirable to make the contacts long enough under high engine speed toallow'a complete saturation of the induction coil. At lower speed, therewill then be an excess'of current flowing through the induction coil,which will, however, not counterbalance, the great advantage obtained insecuring at all times a complete saturated coil and a correspondinglyetlicient spark.

In order to interrupt-the current flowing through the primary coil, Iimmediately, on

the primary circuit has had suflicient time to thoroughly saturate theinduction-coil, the spark produced is the maxlmum spark which can beobtained from a given indum tion coil. It will be apparent that thecontact carrying member 5 is maintamed 1n its downward position and theprimary c1rcu1t remains open until the brush 18 leaves the contact 29.-When the contact 18 comes into engagement with the contact 17 thecn'cult is established through the primary circuit, and the circuit isinterrupted by the contact 18 coming into engagement with theconinduction. coil 12 are at such time in parallel,

' tact 29, so that the 'electro-mag'net 27 andthe and remain sofor abrief interval of time until the armature 30 is attracted and the.

primary circuit opened. The contact 18 leaves the contact 17 withoutproducmg a spark, since the, main current is still inter-- rupted by thearmature" 30 bemg attracted by the magnet 27, due to the current flowlngthrough the. electro-magnetcircuit, as the brush 18 is in contact with abrush 29. During the interval of time in which the brush 18 is passingfrom brush 29 to the next contact 17, no current is flowing-througheither circuit. It will also be apparent that .in case the engine stops,the arm 23 will move downwardly and the brush 18 will not trolled by theengine.

tice, since the induction coil will not receive the entire magnetizationof its core on account of the coil of-the magnet being energized at thesame time and interrupting the main or primary circuit before'it has hadan opportunity of building up the full saturation of the-magnetic field.This causes a very erratic workin of the'induction coil andconsequent'inefffeiency, due to the fact that the coil cannot be fullysaturated. My invention is clearly differentiated from such In so far asI am aware, I am the first in the art to provide, in a device of thischaracter, means for the complete saturation of the induction coil andthe consequent ad vantages arising therefrom, and my claims are to beinterpreted with corresponding scope.

It will now be apparent that I have de vised a novel and useful means tocontrol an induction coil, which embodies the features of advantageenumerated as desirable in the statement of the invention and the abovedescription, and while I have, in the present instance, shown anddescribed a typical embodiment thereof which will give in practicesatisfactory and reliable results, it is .to be understood that-the sameis susceptible of modification in various particu- .lars withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the invention or sacrlficing anyof its advantages;

It will also be apparent that in accordance with my present invention, Ihave devised a novel method of igniting internal combustion engines,wherein I form a primary circuit including an induction coil, thesecondary coil being utilized to'ignite the ex plosive charges in thedifferent engine cylinders. I then form another circuit which includesmeans, such as for example, an electro-magnet, to open the primarycircuit. The closing of both' circuits is elfected by mechanical meanscontrolled by the engine. The closing of one circuit effects the openingof the other circuit. The circuit which opens the primary circuit isopened by means con- It will .thus be seen that I form an electriccircuit. part of whichis formed of separate circuits. The separatecircuits are then closed. A secondary circuit is formed and the closingof one of the separate circuits causes the opening of the other separatecircuit and thereby a current is formed in the secondary or high tensioncircuit which ignites the explosive charge in the proper. enginecylinder. Thereafter, the second separate circuit is opened. I

Havmg thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. An electric circuit, electro-magnetic means to open said circuit,means to close said circuit, and means to prevent shortcircuiting ofsaid circuit.

2. An electric circuit, electro-magnetic means to open said circuit,means to auto-, matically close said circuit, and means to preventshort-circuiting of said circuit.

3. Electric circuits, means for closing said circuits, the closing ofone circuit effecting the opening of the other circuit, and the meansforclosing oneof said circuits including devices incapable of stoppingon short-circuit.

4. Electric circuits, and mechanical means for closing said circuits,the closing of one circuit effecting the opening of the other circuit,said mechanical means being incapable of stopping on short-circuit.

5. An electric circuit, a second electric circuit, and mechanical meansto close said circuits, the closing of the second circuit effecting theopening of the first circuit, and said circuits including a'battcrycommon to'each circuit.

6. An electric circuit, a second electric circuit, and mechanical meansto close said circuits, the closing of the second circuit effecting theopening of the first circuit, and said mechanical means effecting theopening of said second circuit, and said circuits including a batterycommon to each circuit.

said second circuit, and said means being 110 8. The method of ignitinginternal com-' incapable of stopping on short circuit.

bustion engines, which consists in forming electric circuits, closingtwo of said circuits, and effect ng the opening of one of the twocircuits by the closing of the other of said two circuits to produce aspark in a third circuit, and then effecting the opening of the other ofthe two circuits, said circuits having a common source of energy. -9.The method of igniting internal cembustion engines, which consists inforinin an electric circuit, part of which is forme .of separatecircuits, closing one of the separate circuits, forming a secondarycircuit,

closing the other of the separate circuits to effect the opening of thefirst separate circuit and thereby a current in the secondary circuit,and then opening the second separate circuit.

10. In an ignition system, a. transformer coil, and means including asingle source of energy to effect the electrical operation thereof, saidmeans including devices to fully saturate a portion of the transformercoil.

11. In an ignition system, a circuit in lize the current from a singlesource of energy to saturate an induction coil, said means including anelectric circuit to cause the cur-- rent. from the same source todeenergize the induction COll to produce an efliclent spark.

13. In an ignition system, means to ut1- .lize the current from a singlesource of energy to saturate an induction coil, said means causing thecurrent from the same source to' denergize the induction coil to producean 'etlicient spark, each of said means being incapable ofshort-circuiting.

14. In an ignition system, means to uti lize the current from a batteryto saturate an 1nduct1on coil, sald means 1nclud1ng an messes electriccircuit to cause the current from the same battery to deenergize theinduction coil to produce an efiicient spark.

15. In an ignition system, electric circuits having a single source ofenergy and having contacts alternately arranged in spaced relationship,and mechanical means having a single contact to successively engagecontacts of different circuits, and one of said circuits havingelectro-magnetic means o open another circuit.

16. In an ignition system, electric circuits having a single source orenergy and having contacts alternately arranged in spaced relationship,and mechanical means having a single contact to successively engagecontacts of difi'erent circuits, to successively effeet the closing ofone circuit, the closing of the second circuit, the opening of the firstcircuit, and the opening of the second circuit.

II. S. FAIRBANKS, C. D. MOVAY.

